Twitter strengthens its grip over tweets in advertising push

Twitter has completely revamped its policy on third-party software and will introduce a cap on the amount of users software developers can have

In a move designed to boost profits, Twitter has seized more control over tweets by toughening up the rules that allow third-party software to access them.

The rules were published on Twitter’s official blog, in which the firm's director of consumer product, Michael Sippey, wrote:

"In the coming weeks we will release version 1.1 of the Twitter API. To help you plan ahead, we're announcing these changes now, before the new version of the API is available. Changes will include:

- Required authentication on every API endpoint - A new per-endpoint rate-limiting methodology - Changes to our Developer Rules of the Road, especially around applications that are traditional Twitter clients"

It means developers who create new Twitter-based apps will only be allowed to have up to 100,000 users, while existing software firms with over 100,000 users will have the opportunity to double their subscribers before the cap kicks in.

Instapaper developer Marco Arment, believes the overhaul with have a negative impact on developers: “This is very broad and will bite more services and apps than you may expect.”

“It’s probably the clause that caused the dispute with LinkedIn, and why Flipboard CEO Mike McCue just left Twitter’s board.”